Rarely, some transports were categorized as space cruisers. (TOS: "The Way to Eden") Additionally, some vessels were also categorized as short-range transports. Dolamide was a material used for building these transports. (DS9: "Dramatis Personae")

The Federation differentiated transports into one of two categories: commercial and non-commercial. (TNG: "Inheritance")

Unlike freighters, which generally carried only cargo, transports ranged from civilian personnel carriers to military troop transports and were used for carrying a few dozen to several hundred passengers or troops. In 2370, the Maquis were in search of troop transports, among other weapon supplies, to help bolster their position in the Demilitarized Zone. (DS9: "The Maquis, Part I")